Aeroplane flying-machine.



B. P. SEYMOUR, JR. ABROPLANE FLYING MACHINE. APPLIOATION FILED 1150.3, 1909. RENBWED JAN. 17,1912.

1,070,849. Patented Aug. 19, 1913.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

APPLICATION FILED DEU. 1,070,849.

B. F. SEYMOUR, JR. ABROPLANE FLYING MACHINE. APPLIoATIoN FILED 11m. s, 1909. RENBWBD JAN. 17,1912. 1,070,849.

' Patented Aug. 19, 1913.

' 3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

i oofVt-his construction both' for entrara erasing BEENU'JAMINAF. SEHMOUBg JR.; OFDENVEBQ' COLORADO."

.A-EROPLANETLYIN`GMAHINE i Specicansionrof Letters Patent-.-

Application led'lbcember 3," 1909;* Serial No531,'187'. Renewed zJanuary; 17.; 1912. Serial No. 671,652.

' enable others skilled'in the art'to which it.

appertains to make and'use thesame,` retn ence being had'to the accompanyinggdrawings, and to the letters and figures of'refe'r-v ence marked thereon, which frma part of' this specification.

My invent-ion relates to improvements in aerial apparatus or.- flying, machines ofthe aeroplane type. Y

Iii my present improvement' II employ "propellers ofthe helicopter type but so constructed that'they resist'the outwardfftend ency ofth'e air due t0 centrifugal 4Jrce, the object of such construction being to prevent the formation of" an atmospheric cavity or vacuum due to the rotary actionof the pros peller `atthernecessary speed. By virtue of" myimproved construction the tendency lto produce such'ia cavity or vacuum -is overcome and there is practically no Alimit to the Soi-'speed at whichthe propellers may be ro' tated, while with helicopters oftheordinary type, their eiiicient rotary action is limited,

since there is always a .tendency to th'e production o-fan atmospheric cavity or vacuum, whereby the atmospheric'resisting medium is either absent orso rareiiedlas to be .of

littlel value1 In myiniproved l construction I` providethe propellersvwitli" inner: and outer casings 4or housings, through which the blades ipass.

The outer" casings'l or' housings are. also equippedwith atmospheric scoops or buckets, adapted to catch'the atmosphere and d1- rectit inwardly through the" outerhousing thus aiding in maintaining: a proper atmospheric` resistingmedinr for thepropellers under" l-offfthe propeller,

the'I efficient' action of alln circumstances, regardless vofthe speed'to which th'eyjare driven; Iemplo'ypropellers ifting purposes and `for horizontal propulsion, The lifting propellers' rotate on vertical axes', while the horizontal-propulsion propellers rotate onhorizontal axes 'when the: flying wzmachie Or-'airship is in a horizontal posi tion'. In any event, the axes of'th'e lifting the horizontalipropulsion propellers.

. Having briefly outlined my improved construction, I'will proceed to describe the same 1n detail, reference being'made to the accompanying drawing in which is illustrated an' embodiment thereof' In' this drawing: Figure 1 is a section taken through an airship or flying machine equipped with my improvements. Fig. 2 1s a top' plan view of one of the propellers. Fig; 3 is a similar view showing a slightly modified form ofconstruction. ,a top plan view of the airship which, as illustratedin the drawing, .is of the mono- `plane type.

The same reference characters indicate the same parts in all'the views.

Ijet-the numeral 5 designate a platform upon'which: are mounted 'posts 6, connected by'means ofibraces 7 with' an upper framework 8, forming a support for anv aeroplane 9,'the latter being connected with the framework 8 by means of supports 10. Theaeroplane is provided with openings in which cylindrical casings -12 are located, the latter'beingopen at both extremities and adapted' to coperate with propellers 13 the propellers being coincident'with those ofthe casings 12." Connected with the supports 10, above the aeroplane and'extending overl the propellers in cruciform style is a lskeleton' frame 1 4," through whose central lportion the upper extremity ofthe propeller shaftlpasses. This skeleton structure forms shaft.. Each propeller, which is of the heli- 'copter type, is composed of blades 15 which pass through inner and'outer housings 1G and '1"("respectively.* As show-n in Fig. 1, "the: outer housing. is cylindrical while the walls beingoutwardly ared from their lower edge, thus havinglatendency-to cause move toward the center to neutralize the loutward tendencyl due to centrifugal force. These housings trap the air so to speak and lmaintain an atmospheric medium of sutlicient'densityfor eflicient use, regardless of the speed at which the propellers are operated. In order to further supply the prowhich are mounted 'on shafts 14,' the axes of' a bearingy for the upper extremity of th'e inner housing, is frusto-conical, its inner Patented Aug. 19,1913.t

propellers are at rightangles to those of I Fig. 4 is- 'the air passing through the propeller to y pellers with an atmospheric resisting medium of the required density, I equip the outer housing with atmospheric scoops or buckets 18, which project outwardly from the outer housing and are arranged to catch the atmosphere outsideof the body of the propeller and direct it inwardly through openings 19 in the said housing, as indicated by the arrows in Figs. 2 and 3.

As shown in Fig. 1, the lifting propellers and the horizontal propellers are of precisely the same construction, the latter, however, being mounted upon a horizontal shaft 20, journaled in bearings 21, made fast underneath the platform 5.

In the form of construction shown in Fig. 3, both .housings 16 and 17 are cylindrical and two sets of blades are employed, one set, designated 22, being interposed between the inner and outer housing and Nsecured thereto by means of bolts 23 and 24; while the other set 27 are secured at their inner extremities to a hub 25 through which the shaft passes, their outer extremities being connected with' the inner housing .by bolts 26, the inner blades 27 having their outer extremities interposed between the inner extremities of the blades 22. In this form of construction the inner housing, as well as the outer housing, is equipped with the atmospheric scoops 18, the inner housing being alsoprovided with openings 28, through which the air is directed inwardly against the blades 27.

As shown in thedrawing (see Fig. 1), the apparatus is equipped with an engine 30, having a shaft 31 connected with the.

horizontal propeller shaft 20 by meshing gears 34 and 35; while the vertical propeller shafts 14 are connected with the engine shaft by means of gears 32 and 33, shafts 3,6 and bevel gears 37 and 38. rlhe gears 37 are slidably mounted on their respective shafts and are provided with collars 39 engaged by levers 40 fulcrumed at 41 and connected, as shown at 42, with operatihg rods 43. By operating these levers the gears 37 may be thrown into or out of mesh with their companion gears 32 and 33, as will be readily understood.

Below each propeller 13 and mounted on the post 6 of the frame work, is a coneshaped deflector 44, having a hub 45 through which theshaft 14 passes. These deflectors are Vequipped with slots 46 through which the posts 6 pass and they are adjustable on the latter by means of set bolts 47.

When the apparatus is in use both the horizonal-propulsion propellers and the lifting propellers may all be in motion and in this event the machine will rise in the atmosphere in a direction inclined to the horizontal, the an le of movement depending upon the relatlon between the lifting and horizontalpropulsion forces. Either of these forces may Ibe regulated as may be deromain sired or. wholly discontinued at the will of the operator and as circumstances and conditions may dictate.

Attention iscalled to the fact that Where the'machine is equipped with a number of lifting propellers, the .individual propellers may be rotated in reverse directions. For instance, referring to Fig. 4, the two propellers at the extreme right and left, as well as those at the top and bottom of the sheet, should be rotated `in reverse directions in order to overcome the tendency of the entire machine to rotate, as might result from the constant rotation of thejentirel set of propellers inone direction.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is: A

1. A propeller provided with blades and housings equipped with scoops, the housings having openings adjacent the scoops, substantially as described.

2. A propeller provided with blades and equipped with a housing surrounding the blade zone and having atmospheric scoops in communication with the blade zone inclosed by the housing, substantially as described.

3.. A propeller provided with blades and having a housing atk the outer extremity of the blades, the said housing having exteriorly projecting atmospheric scoops commumcating with the space inclosed by the housing, substantially as described.

4. A propeller provided with blades, and having a housing at the outer extremity of the blades, the housing having exteriorly projecting atmospheric scoops, the housing having openings adjacent the scoops to allow the air to pass inwardly, for the purpose set forth.

5. A propeller equipped with blades and provided with a housing located intermediate the blade zone, and equipped with atmospheric scoops, the housing havlng openings adjacent the scoops, for the purpose set fortln 6. A propeller equipped with blades and provided with a housing located intermediate the blade zone, and equipped with atmospheric scoops, the housing having openings adjacent the scoops, arranged to deliver air into the space inclosed by the housing, substantially as described.

An air ship propeller equipped with blades and having a housing provided with atmospheric scoops protruding beyond the housing, the latter having openings adjacent the scoops, for the purpose set forth.

8. A propeller provided with blades and ,having housings equipped with scoops, said housings having, openings adjacent the scoops, for the purpose set forth.

9. A propeller provided with blades, and having an outer`housing equipped with atmospheric scoops in communication with the equipped withatmospheric scoops, the said BES-2" VLBLE COPY housings, the inner housing being flared outwardly from its rearward edge, substantially as described.

housing for delivering air to the blades of the propeller, for the purpose set forth.

10. A propeller provided with blades and having inner and outer housings, the inner 5 housing being ,equipped with atmospheric scoops and provided with openings adjacent the scoops to allow the air to pass inwardly, for the purpose set forth.

11. A propeller comprising housings and an outer housing, the inner housing being outwardly flared from its rearward edge and located intermediate the blade zone, substantially as described.

ing a housing equipped with dellectors, the housing having openings adjacent the delectors -4through which fluid isdirected by the deflectors into the interior of the housing, substantially as described.

18. A pro eller provided with blades equipped wit a housing, and having a de- 'lector, the housing having an opening arranged adjacent the deflector through which opening'the iiuid is deliveredv by the deflector into the blade zone inclosed by the housing, substantially as described.

19. In combination, a propeller having blades, housings mounted upon said blades, and means arranged /in fixed relation to said blades for directing motive iuid against the blades between said housings.

\ 20. In combination, a propeller having blades, housings mounted upon said blades, and means arranged in fixed relation to said blades for directing motive fluid against the blades. j

. In testimony whereof I aiiiX my signature in presence of two witnesses. l

BENJAMIN F. SEYMOUR, JR.

Witnesses:

JESSIE F. HOBART, A. Enn'r OBRIEN.

housings having openings adjacent the scoops,'and inner and outer sets of series of blades arranged in staggered relation, for the purpose set forth.

12. A propeller provided with blades and having inner and outer housings, each housing being equipped with atmospheric scoops, having openings adj acent the scoops, for the purpose set forth.

13. An air ship propeller provided with blades and havingan inner and an outer housing, one housing being at the outer extremity of the blade zone, and the other housing being intermediate the blade zone, the two housings being provided with atmospheric scoops andprovided with openings adjacent the scoops, for the purpose set forth.

14. A propeller having a plurality of concentric housings, a set of blades located within the innermost housing, andanother set of blades interposed between the housing, the housings being equipped with scoops in communication with the interior of the housings for the purpose set forth.

15. A' propeller having inner and outer housings, and'blades arranged Within the 16. An air ship propeller having an inner` 17. A propeller provided with blades havl i 

